COVID 19: Getting NYC Back on Track

24-hour subway service is coming back. F/C train service is being restored. And construction will start on new elevators at the 7th Ave station. [View this email in your browser]( Dear {NAME} The city that never sleeps will at last have 24-hour subway service again! It’s taken far too long for the governor and the MTA to restore overnight service, but I’m relieved that 24/7 subway service is finally returning in two weeks. The fear of contracting Covid-19 in public spaces caused many to abandon public transportation when the pandemic hit, but after a few months we had good evidence that transmission of COVID-19 on [the subway is much lower]( than originally feared. Transit advocates began pushing for the return of overnight service last fall, as essential workers continued to need access to and from their jobs, and as it became clear that precautions like masking and social distancing were more critical than deep cleaning. It’s great to clean the trains, but it can be done without shutting down the system. By February, when I pushed MTA Chairman Patrick Foye for a date that 24/7 service would resume, the MTA was more engaged in [“hygiene theater”]( than it was focusing on what’s best for public health or public transit. For some reason, even as he announced the good news yesterday, the governor couldn’t resist a little more theater, saying that he was “scared,” and that he wouldn’t tell his child to ride the subway. Both my daughter Rosa and I have been riding the subway a lot lately, as she goes to high school in Manhattan, and I’ve been working to take the train more and drive less. We’ve both felt totally comfortable back on the subway, and we hope you will as well. Earlier this spring, we also got the good news that the MTA reversed cuts to service on the F and C lines. In February, we learned that the MTA had quietly decided not to restore pandemic service cuts on the F and C lines. That meant wait times would be 25 to 50% more than they had been before -- and they were already some of the longest in the system. Organizing with other City Council Members, [I pushed back against those cuts]( which had been implemented in secret, with no hearing or vote. The Transit Workers Union sued the MTA to block the cuts. Their lawsuit, aided by $6 billion in new federal funds coming to the MTA, worked: the cuts to F and C service are being restored. Finally, one other bit of long-awaited good news. After a decade of advocacy, the [7th Avenue F/G station will finally have elevators]( that make it accessible for people with disabilities, parents with strollers, people with suitcases, or patients coming to or from NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Construction will begin this summer, and the project is scheduled (fingers crossed) to be completed by July 2023. The project will also include new artwork in the public areas, structural improvements, new fire alarms, CCTV, and public address systems. Big props to advocates like Good Neighbors of Park Slope, and to everyone who voted to make a $250K downpayment on the elevators through participatory budgeting in 2019, as part of our community’s advocacy for accessible subway service. Let’s be clear: we’ve got a long way to go for the transit system we need. Every station should be accessible. And we are far behind on subway signal modernization, the most significant improvements for increasing service and reducing wait times. Hopefully, the American Jobs Plan will provide infrastructure funding to fund the MTA capital plan and accelerate that urgent work. Still, as we work to emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, 24-hour service, restored F and C train service, and an accessible 7th Avenue station are good ways to get back on track. Brad Covid-19 Updates and Resources - Why wait until July? Reopening is now in May: [The governor announced]( yesterday that 24 hr a day subway service will return to NYC on 5/17. And across NY, NJ and CT many businesses can fully reopen on 5/19 as long as they still abide by the 6 ft distancing guidelines. This includes retail, food services, gyms and fitness centers, amusement and family entertainment, hair salons, barber shops and other personal care services, and houses of worship. The outdoor social gathering limit increases to 500 on 5/10 and indoor social gathering limit increases to 250 on 5/19. The outdoor residential gathering limit is eliminated and indoor residential gathering limit increases to 50 on 5/19. Large-scale indoor venue capacity increases to 30% and large-scale outdoor venue capacity increases to 33% on 5/19 although social distancing, masks, and other applicable health protocols will still apply, including the requirement of attendee proof of full vaccination or recent negative COVID-19 test result. - Tween vaccination update: It is now expected that the [Pfizer Covid vaccine will receive FDA/CDC approval]( for use in 12-15 year olds by the beginning of next week. Get those [vaccine appointment website]( tabs ready for your tweens! - New mask guidance: The CDC announced last week [new guidelines]( around outdoor mask wearing for fully vaccinated people that allows for participation in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in crowded settings and venues. I’m excited to be able to run in Prospect Park without a mask! But please keep wearing masks in all indoor public settings, and in crowded outdoor ones as well. - Latest Virus Data: In NYC, 1,156 new COVID cases were reported May 3rd, for a total of 931,288 cases since the start of the pandemic. We have lost 32,662 people in NYC from the virus, including sadly 36 reported on May 3rd. The number of new cases and the positivity rate have been declining; the average daily number of cases has dropped 46% over the past two weeks. The citywide 7-day rolling average of people testing positive as of May 3rd was 2.78%. City data [here](. - Vaccine Data: As of today 7,836,585 vaccine doses have been delivered to New York City, and 6,680,301 have been administered. For more information on vaccine eligibility, locations, and data, visit the [NYC Vaccine Command Center’s Website](. (And you can review our office’s Vaccine FAQ [here](. - Beware of COVID Vaccine Scams: Please ignore any individual or organization claiming to be able to provide a vaccine in exchange for payment. No vaccine distributors will ask you for Social Security, credit card, or bank account information. The vaccine is completely free, regardless of whether you have health insurance. If you suspect any fraudulent activity relating to COVID-19, please call the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Action Center Hotline at 718-250-2340. - Get Tested: Even with these new vaccines in circulation it is still so important to keep up our social distancing, wear masks, and get tested. For information about testing sites around the city, visit [New York City’s Covid-19 testing website](. - Self Senior Sign up: If you are a senior or know a senior who would benefit from free friendly calls from the Neighbor Network during this isolating time, you can now sign up here by filling out this [form]( or calling 914-572-5526. - Sign up for Neighbor Network Vaccination phone banking: My office helped to launch Neighbor Network last March, in partnership with Heights and Hills and Greenwich House, to combat social isolation for home-bound older adults and help address food, medicine and other needs as the pandemic hit. The neighbor network has now also pivoted to vaccine outreach. [Do you want to help? Join the Neighbor Network to phone-bank with vaccine information, become a “vaccine navigator,” or make wellness calls.]( Education Updates and Resources - Summer Rising registration is now open: DOE’s new universal program Summer Rising, free and open to all K-12 NYC residents. For more information about the program, a list of school locations, as well as program dates and the link to register visit [(. K-8 registration does not operate using your MySchools or NYC Schools accounts. Be prepared to set up an [NYC account]( if you do not already have one. - 3-K for All Districts: Starting this fall, [DOE will expand 3-K programs across the city](. In school districts in and around this part of Brooklyn (15, 13, 20) DOE will offer 3-K seats to as many families as possible. New programs for next school year will continue to be added to the 3-K application through May. You can[sign up]( for the 3-K admissions email list to be notified as new 3-K programs are added. You can find out your school district by calling 311 or visiting [schools.nyc.gov/Find-a-School](. Then visit [MySchools]( to create your [MySchools account]( through which you can explore 3-K options, build your application, and apply online. The 3-K application deadline has been extended to May 28. - Vote for your CEC candidates: Through 5/11, all parents of New York City public school students can vote for their Community Education Council (CEC) representatives for the first time ever! Education Council representatives serve as the voice of our families, offering important advice to the Chancellor and the NYC Department of Education. To vote, you just need an [NYC Schools Account](. More information on voting can be found [here](. Other Updates and Resources - Pop-Up Food Distribution at Avenue C Plaza: In partnership with People In Need, Arts & Democracy and ArtBuilt are hosting a food distribution event on Wednesday, May 5 from 3:30PM to 5:30PM. They’ll be distributing free groceries for families and free art kits for children! - Legal Services Hotline: NYC Financial Justice Hotline is a free legal hotline for low-income NYC residents. The hotline is staffed in English and Spanish, provides free legal information, advice, and referrals on a wide range of financial justice issues--from discriminatory banking practices to predatory debt collection. You can find more information [here](. - COJO Flatbush Tax Collection: They are offering free tax services for tax season. If you need assistance filing your taxes you can find more information and contact them [here](. - Access Benefits Helpline through Legal Aid: Anyone having trouble with an application to apply for or recertify for HRA cash assistance, SNAP, or Medicaid benefits, can all the Legal Aid Society’s Access to Benefits Helpline at 888-663-6880 M-F 10am-3pm. - Support Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce: Community mutual aid groups [West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid]( (WBWMA) and[Gowanus Mutual Aid]( (GMA) are partnering with[GrowNYC]( to launch a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program: Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce. For just $11 a week, you can provide a household in need with a bag of fresh produce. Make a monthly or one-time[contribution](. Or purchase a WBWMA tote bag[here]( for $23 and after the cost to make the bag ($12), $11 will go directly towards this new food initiative and help to fund one week of fresh produce for a Brooklyn family. Interested in volunteering? Contact[WBWMA]( and[GMA]( about Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce. - We are redirecting our Fresh Direct Bag Program: After collecting and redistributing more than 50,000 bags, we are transitioning our Fresh Direct bag donation effort now that Fresh Direct has established its own program to connect bag donors with nearby food pantries. A couple of our partners, Masbia and People in Need, are now signed up for direct bag drop off through Fresh Direct’s program. You can find the complete list of partners with times and locations [here.]( Thank you to the many constituents who have continued to collect and donate their extra bags over the course of the pandemic. This has provided a much needed supply of durable bags to food providers, and helped reduce the number of these bags entering our waste stream. We hope you will continue to donate directly through this new program. 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